Editor's note: A previous version of this story misstated which types of animals the Michigan Humane Society accepts. This version is correct.

Ferndale Honda gets a lot of different types of guests, but there was one visitor on Monday that employees weren't exactly sure how to handle.

A common ball python, about 3 feet long, was found near the building at 21350 Woodward Ave.

"You've never seen so many grown men jump in their shorts," said Bonnie Darga, Ferndale Honda's office manager.

She said this is not something that usually happens, not on Woodward in the middle of the city. Charlie Pernik, Ferndale Honda president, said the snake was found by the front door. So he put it in a box and started trying to find out what he should do with it.

He said he called the cops, but they wouldn't take it.

"What do you do in a situation like this?" He asked.

He decided to put the snake in his car and drove to the Detroit Zoo, which to his surprise also would not take the snake. A customer service representative from the zoo told the Free Press it does not take animals from outside the zoo unless they come from other certified zoos.

Although the zoo would not take the python, a couple of the zoo employees decided to take it off Pernik's hands.

The man said the snake looked very good, had good colors and probably had disappeared from someone's home.

Shaun Bailey, public relations specialist for the Michigan Humane Society, said the snake is currently at the humane society's Rochester Hills location.

Bailey said the Michigan Humane Society accepts all sorts of surrendered pets, including rats, gerbils, snakes and other reptiles.

Mark Rosenthal, owner of Animal Magic, a non-profit dedicated to exotic
wildlife conservation and life science education, said it is common for exotic pets to escape enclosures, and he's dealt with animals ranging from large alligators to baby lions.

It is also common for snakes to escape their enclosures.

"Snakes are escape artists," he said. As such, the tops of their enclosures need to be tightly secured.

Common ball pythons are native to Africa and can grow up to 4 to 5 feet long. They don't live in the wild in Michigan, for they can't survive the winters.

He said there are only two ways the python got into Ferndale: It either escaped or was let go. Some people will take them out to sun them and forget about them until later, at which point they have slithered off, he said.

Or, if someone gets evicted from their home, they might just let the python go, either not knowing it won't survive or just hoping it will make it.

If you find a snake like this outside, call a professional like Rosenthal who is licensed by the government to handle it. He can tell you how to catch it, and he can help find an appropriate home, he said.

Bailey said this particular snake was a male and very tame, so it is probably someone's pet.

He said if the snake's owner would like to come claim it, they would just need to bring proof of ownership to the Rochester Hills location.

"We would love to reunite this snake with its owner," he said.

If you happen to be missing a python in the Ferndale area, you can contact the Rochester Hills location of the Michigan Humane Society at 248-852-7420.